Video

‘Celebrating Saneeya’ – feminist, activist, environmentalist, my former editor, and dear friend. Made this 5-min documentary after she died in Brazil in 2005… Saneeya, we will always miss you and be inspired by you and your infectious laughter… See also Saneeya Hussain Trusthttp://saneeyahussaintrust.com/

6 Responses

Congrats on the blog. This is brilliant. Thanks for linking Pak Tea House. May I also request you to please link my personal blogsite: Jahane Rumi – http://www.razarumi.com to your blogroll.
all best
Raza

Hi Jayasri, the music is all by the legendary Allan Faqir. I got it from Hameed Haroon, CEO of Dawn, who introduced Saneeya to Bhit Shah where the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the patron saint of Sindh is located. It was here that she first heard Allan Fakir and many others.
In the 14-min version of the film (not up on the web yet), Hameed says:
“Anyone who knows Saneeya would know that her family gave her the tradition of dignity, equality and not bow down to oppression or the tyrant. Saneeya had all these qualities in full measure. But if you speak of her baptism of fire, as a person of political significance, you have to say that it was the Sufis of Bhit Shah who took Saneeya in their midst and that experience probably shaped Saneeya more than any single thing. So if you think of Bhit Shah as having taken Saneeya from Karachi, from this earthen life, and showed her a wider perspective. It was Bhit Shah and the Sindhi tradition that probably gave Saneeya to Brazil, to Nepal, to South Africa and to the world.”

Just saw this beautiful film again. And remembered Saneeya and her laughter. Hard to believe that it’ll soon be five years since she died. But she really lives on, through films like yours, the website and our memories. Thanks again.

And a request: please link my blog to yours. I’m still trying to master the art of blogging, after Shahidul’s crash course. But I see that you’re already an expert!